Method of in situ measuring surface tension of a solid-gas interface

A method of in situ measuring surface tension of a solid-gas interface is described theoretically and is realized experimentally. The method is based on the Udin technique, which reduces to the determination of the load of zero creep, i.e., the load on a sample at which no deformation of the sample occurs at a high temperature. It is assumed that the load of zero creep balances the force of surface tension. This load is found by a linear interpolation of the strain-rate dependence on the load to the zero strain. A method is described which makes it possible to directly find the load of zero creep in the process of experiment, i.e., an “in situ” method. An installation was designed and preliminary experiments were performed, which show the correctness of the theoretical calculations and the experimental procedure. The experiments were carried out in a hydrogen atmosphere at 960°C. The possibility is shown of finding the load of zero creep by the method of the straightening of the experimental strain-rate dependence on stress in the process of the experiments carried out in the work.